Welcome into the Sunday edition of the FanDuel daily fantasy baseball column! We have a fun nine game slate today so let’s get right to it.
I’m ready to have a really positive day today as we’re coming off back to back losses. That hasn’t happened very often so far this season and we’re not going to let it become a habit. While Friday night was abject disaster, Saturday we at least stayed in the running with a score of 130.1 and there’s plenty of nights that could get the job done. Tonight just wasn’t out night, even though we got a big game out of Mike Trout. The double goose egg from Kyle Seager and Addison Russell did us in. Let’s get onto Sunday and get a new streak rolling!
Starting Pitcher, High End Spend
Corey Kluber, $11,500
.140(8 for 57), 35.6 strikeout rate
The clear top end option for today is the Cleveland ace, regardless of Camden Yards being a good hitter’s park. Not only is Kluber one of the best pitchers in baseball, he gets to face a team that is currently leading the league in strikeout percentage against right handed pitching. On top of that, they rank 28th in average, 25th in OPS, 22nd in ISO and 25th in wOBA. The Orioles are very righty heavy in their lineup and Kluber is in a fantastic spot tonight. Kluber is $1,200 more expensive than Luis Severino but if you’re spending up, I’d find that money and pay up for the Indians ace today.
Mid-Range
Lance McCullers, $8,800
.417(5 for 12), 7.7 strikeout percentage
If you want to have some extra money to spend on your offense, McCullers is the way to go. His upside is there every single time he toes the rubber even though he’s not the most consistent pitcher out there. The White Sox can be a little feast or famine as a team. They have some power in spots to hurt McCullers but also carry a very high strikeout rate. So far in 2018, Chicago is ranked 25th against the curveball. Since the start of last year, they are 15th but they are also firmly in the negative for a rating. McCullers is coming off one of the best starts in his career and is primed for another one today. It’s going to be a tough choice dollar for dollar between him and Kluber.
Also Consider – Nick Pivetta, $8,000
Value
Miles Mikolas, $6,400
.148(4 for 27), 19.2 strikeout rate
If you’re digging down to the bottom of the barrel today, Mikolas is very interesting at his price point. His strikeout rate hasn’t been anything to write home aboutwhich explains the price. He just faced the Reds last week and posted a score of 40 FanDuel points and the Reds offense just isn’t very good right now. They are 23rd or worse in about every major category, regardless of handedness of the pitcher. The Cards will be favored again today and Mikolas has a very real shot at a quality start and win, even if the strikeout ceiling isn’t high.
Also Consider – Francisco Liriano, $6,800